Patron service system and method

ABSTRACT

A method provides for using a portable patron unit in a venue or in a vicinity of the venue. The method includes wirelessly connecting the patron unit to be in communication with the venue, and providing at least one display on the patron unit enabling a patron to place a patron order for at least one item or service provided by the venue. The method also includes displaying the patron order and a location of the patron unit on the patron unit and at least one portable staff unit, and updating a status of the patron order, and a location of the patron unit when the patron moves to a different location, on both the patron unit and the at least one staff unit. The method further includes indicating that the at least one item or service ordered has been completed on both the patron unit and the at least one staff unit when the at least one item or service ordered has been provided to the patron.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/665,525 filed on Sep. 19, 2003, which claims priority fromU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/412,863, filed on Sep.23, 2002, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein intheir entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to systems and methods for providing services topatrons at resorts, stadiums, arenas, and other venues.

BACKGROUND

The world's leading luxury and upscale hotels, resorts, cruise lines,vacation destinations, and other public venues often differentiatethemselves in a competitive market by promising and attempting todeliver exceptional service and convenience to their patrons, such asguests, customers, spectators, visitors, clientele, and other clients(hereinafter referred to collectively as “patrons”). Successfullydelivering on the promise of outstanding service not only attractsrepeat business, but can also generate greater revenue and increasedprofitability. At the same time, patrons that these properties attracthave elevated expectations of service, including increased levels ofattention, convenience, speed and control. The service deliverychallenge for the resort is to attend quickly to patrons when therequire service, to fulfill patrons' requests in a timely and efficientmanner, and finally to locate a patron for delivery of their order.

Despite their high expectations, patrons at luxury and upscale resortscurrently face several inconveniences in ordering food, beverages, andother amenities and services while on the beach, at the pool and inother areas of the property. In many instances when patrons desire toplace an order, they cannot find a staff member such as a server, arunner, a waiter, a waitress, beach attendant, recreational staff, anemployee and other personnel (hereinafter referred to collectively as a“staff member”) of an establishment in the vicinity. Often the patron isunable to attract the attention of the staff member, or the staff membermay he busy attending to another patron. Additional problems arise oncethe order is taken, as the staff member may proceed to take additionalorders before submitting initial patron's orders for fulfillment. Theresult is a delay in entering the initial orders to the resort'scomputer system (assuming there is a basic computer system) and thusdelaying preparation of the order as well.

If a patron becomes tired of waiting for a staff member to take theorder, the alternative is to walk, sometimes for great distances, toplace an order for food, beverages, or services. Not only are patronsinconvenienced, but they also face the risks inherent in leavingchildren or personal belongings unsupervised and unprotected on thebeach, pool deck, or other resort location.

Once the order is prepared and ready for delivery to the patron, it canbe a challenge for the staff member to remember where the patron islocated or to find where the patron has relocated. Oftentimes the personwho took the order is often not the same person who delivers the order,or the patron has moved and is not seated where the original order wastaken. The result is that patrons experience further delay in havingtheir orders delivered.

Once a the item (such as a towel, beverage, food) has been delivered tothe patron, and the staff member departs, any problem with the order(i.e., missing utensils or condiments, erroneous or ill-prepared items,etc.) requires the patron to chase after the staff member, walk to aservice area, or wait for the staff member to return.

Additionally, since a staff member has no way to know if a patron isinterested in ordering food or beverages, staff members may periodically“check-in” with the patron as they circulate on the beach, pool, orother locations, which sometimes results in annoying disturbances forthe patron, if the patron has no interest in placing an order.

Furthermore, most resorts do not offer patrons the ability to purchasesundry items, reserve a tee time, tennis court, jet ski, or spa relatedappointments while seated at the beach or pool.

In an attempt to address some of the aforementioned problems, a limitednumber of hotels are deploying centrally-located kiosks. Unfortunately,these systems require patrons to leave their seats and walk somedistance to place an order at a kiosk location. Again, not only are thepatrons inconvenienced, but they also face the risks inherent in leavingchildren or personal belongings unsupervised and unprotected on thebeach, pool deck, or other resort location when having to order from thekiosk location.

Additionally, kiosks do not enable the staff member to locate the patronfor delivery of the order, thus requiring additional effort and furtherinconvenience to the patron if the patron must retrieve the orderhimself.

Furthermore, in many instances there may be a line of patrons waiting touse a particular kiosk creating a further inconvenient experience forpatrons when they attempt to place an order for themselves.

Some manufactures have introduced POS (point-of-sale) systems for use bystaff at restaurants, which may include wireless handheld terminals, asan extension of the POS systems. These handheld terminals enable staffto input and manage patron orders at a distance. Unfortunately, thesedevices typically only allow the staff member, to take and transmit theorder on behalf of the patron. The patron must still wait for a staffmember to arrive so that the patron may initiate an order. Additionally,these systems do not lend themselves in many areas of a resort. Forexample, there remains the problem of locating the patron in a pool orbeach environment after the order is taken. This problem is furtherexacerbated when the staff member who took the order is not the sameperson who delivers the order. Thus, centrally-located kiosks for patronuse and handheld POS devices for a staff member's use, both are oflimited effectiveness and, thus do not fully address the problems ofboth the patron and the resort.

The impact on the resort caused by these service failures issignificant, and includes decreased patron satisfaction, higher coststhrough service inefficiencies, and missed opportunities to increaseproperty revenues per patron, decreased repeat patron business, anddecreased reputation/rating, etc.

SUMMARY

A patron service system and method is described herein with reference toseveral exemplary implementations.

For example, in one described implementation, portable patron units areprovided to patrons for use in a resort or other establishment. Theportable patron units are mobile wireless devices that includeinteractive display screens. The portable patron units enable patrons tointeract, order items, request services, browse information associatedwith the resort and/or other information, wirelessly. Portable staffunits are provided to staff members for use in the resort or otherestablishment. The portable staff units are also mobile wireless devicesthat include interactive display screens. The portable staff units,enable staff members to view information about orders and/or requestsentered by patrons made by the patrons wirelessly. The portable staffunits can also display locations of the portable patron units to enablestaff members to locate portable patron units when delivering items,servicing requests, etc.

This implementation as well as others is described below when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Itshould be noted that the figures are not drawn to scale and are forillustration purposes only.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary patron servicesystem suitable for use in a resort.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary portable patron unit.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary portable staff unit.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a central unit within which applicationprograms and other functionalities described herein can be either fullyor partially implemented.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary display screen rendered on a displaydevice of a portable patron unit.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary display screen presented to patrons ondisplay device after selecting a beverage icon.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary display screen presented to patrons whenordering a beverage item.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary display screen rendered on a displaydevice of a portable staff unit.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary display screen providing details aboutan order to a staff member.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary display screen on a portable staff unitfor displaying locations of portable patron devices.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary method ofoperation associated with a portable patron unit.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary method ofoperation associated with portable staff unit.

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary method ofoperation associated with a central unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Patron Service System

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary patron servicesystem 100 suitable for use in a resort 101. As used herein a “resort,”refers to hospitality venues, such as, but not limited to, hotels,motels, lodging centers, cruise ships, tennis resorts, camps, skiresorts, relaxation centers, inns, time-share communities, retirementcommunities, and any constituent parts of a particular resort, such as,but not limited to, restaurants, bars, pools, tennis courts,entertainment centers, ski slopes, beaches, spas, boating facilities,gift shops, retail locations, and so forth.

Although patron service system 100 is described herein primarily in thecontext of being used in a resort, it should also be noted that patronservice system 100 may be used in various other venues including, butnot limited to, stadiums, arenas, retail locations, zoos, transportationcenters, health care settings, convalescence centers, conventioncenters, country clubs, museums, gambling venues, sporting events, aswell as any other entertainment, retail, and recreational environments.

In one implementation, patron service system 100 is configured toservice one or more patrons and staff members of resort 101. Patronservice system 100 may include one or more portable patron unit 102(1),. . . , 102(N), one or more portable staff units 104(1), 104(N), acentral unit 106, and one or more fulfillment center computers 108(1), .. . , 108(N). Patron service system 100 may form at least a portion of anetwork 110.

Portable patron unit, referred to generally as reference number 102, isprovided to a patron to use at resort 101 while at a pool, beach, spa,deck, lounge, or any other areas associated with resort 101. Portablepatron unit 102 is a rugged mobile computer device with an interactivedisplay device 114. Portable patron unit 102 uses wireless technology totransmit and receive information from other devices associated withresort 101. Accordingly, from the comfort of the beach, a pool loungechair, or other various locations, a patron may view extensive menus ofitems, services, information, etc. that may be ordered from a userinterface displayed on display device 114 of portable patron unit 102. Apatron may order food, beverages, services, and so forth, by enteringinformation into their respective portable patron unit 102.

In one implementation, portable patron unit 102 may be attached with asecure locking mechanism (not shown) to a patron's lounge chair, table,and so forth by a staff member of the resort. Alternatively, portablepatron unit 102 may be carried by the patron or may be affixed to theirperson such as to a belt or wristband.

Display device 114 typically displays a user interface (to be describedin more detail), which is easy to use, yet allows a great degree ofchoice and flexibility in accessing information. The user interface isdesigned to require minimal training for the patron to begin using thesystem. The user interface may display extensive menus of items,services, information, etc. that can be ordered or accessed and mayinclude descriptions, pricing information, or other details.Information, such as property announcements and promotions, weatherconditions, activity updates, etc., may also be displayed to the patronat the discretion of resort 101.

The user interface may enable patrons to rapidly order standard menuitems, while also allowing for extensive order customization. The userinterface may also display items that the patron had previously orderedduring the day or vacation period, making it easy to replicate previousorders (e.g., order “another round”). Daily specials, cross-sell,up-sell and other recommendations based on the patron's choices and anyother sales and convenience features may be included in the userinterface. The portable patron unit 102 may also display informationrelating to the status of any open order, open tab, etc. including thereal-time status of any order and estimated time to that order'sdelivery.

A patron may also use portable patron unit 102 to page a staff member,to receive personal attention from the staff member, request immediatedelivery of a bill, etc. Portable patron units may also receive anelectronic bill, permitting patrons to enter credit card information, orother payment information without the need for a staff member tophysically deliver the bill. Bills may also be generated automaticallywithout the need for a bill request, depending on the system. Portablepatron unit 102 may offer a patron the ability to play games, access theInternet, receive and send e-mail, conduct two-way conversations, watchvideos, watch movies, listen to music, among other features. The abilityto conduct two-way conversations may assist in allowing the patron or astaff member to better communicate with each other in the event there isa question about an order, such as with a custom meal order.

A portable staff unit, referred to generally as reference number 104, isa durable mobile computer device with an interactive display device 116that uses wireless technology to transmit and receive information fromother devices associated with resort 101, such as central unit 106.Portable staff unit 104 is provided to a staff member (such as a server,a runner, a waiter, a waitress, beach attendant, recreational staff, anemployee and other personnel associated with an establishment(hereinafter “staff member”)) of resort 101 enabling the staff member toservice patrons. Portable staff unit 104 may display information onpatrons, including order status, which then can be used to service thepatrons effectively and efficiently. For instance, portable staff unit104 is configured to receive notification of open orders made by apatron including details of one or more pending orders. The portablepatron unit 104 is designed to be mobile and carried with the staffmember, such as with a serving tray, on a wristband, or affixed to abelt, etc.

Portable staff unit 104 is capable of displaying information for thepurpose of assisting the staff member to better service the patron. Forinstance, portable staff unit 104 may display a location of a particularportable patron unit 102. This feature may be useful in locating apatron that has placed an order or requested a service, so that a staffmember can deliver the patron's order or service the request directly tothe patron in an efficient and prompt manner. The portable staff unit104 may also display information about the particular patron such as thepatron's name, room number, previous orders, specific items ordered,billing status, preferences, special needs, and so forth. Suchinformation may by useful to the staff member so they may address thepatron by name and understand or anticipate the patron's needs, evenwithout personally contacting the patron.

Portable staff units 104 may also assist a staff member by displayingreal-time information or actions performed by patrons on their portablepatron units 102 as they are being performed, such as displaying thenumber of patrons browsing on their portable patron unit 102, displayingparticular activities performed by a particular patron, etc. Suchreal-time information may prepare a staff member for future orders notyet received and give the staff member a head start on an order eventhough the patron may not have completed and submitted the order.

Portable staff unit 104 may also receive page messages from a patron,indicating the name and location of a patron who requires immediateservice or personal attention. Portable staff unit 104 may also beconfigured to perform all functions that a portable patron unit 102 canperform, such as placing an order, which allows a staff member toinstantly transmit an order taken verbally if a patron prefers not toenter the order directly on the portable patron unit 102 or if a patrondoes not currently have a portable patron unit 102. A staff member canalso “take over” an order from portable patron unit 102, and edit andtransmit the order if a patron is having difficulty with the system.

In terms of billing status, portable staff unit 104 can display opentabs, and when a patron has requested delivery of their bill, which caneliminate one of the more frustrating waiting periods in a patron'sexperience. In addition, a staff member can use portable staff unit 104to perform administrative and patron and service functions, such astransferring a patron to another portable patron unit 102 if, forexample, the patron wishes to relocate from the beach to the pool andthe portable patron unit is locked to a piece of furniture (assuming thepatron does not simply carry the portable patron unit with them).

Central unit 106 is typically a server side computer, which controlswireless communication among portable patron units 102 and portablestaff unit 104, and distributes content to portable patron units 102 andportable staff units 104. Central unit 106 also may serve as a gatewayto other resort systems such as Point-of-Sale management softwarerunning on central unit 106 or other computers.

Central unit 106 typically receives and authenticates orders made byportable patron units 102 and then routes the orders to an appropriatefulfillment center computer 108(1), . . . , 108(N) associated with afulfillment center 109, such as a kitchen, bar, spa, gift shop, etc.Once the order is prepared, a staff member from the particularfulfillment center 109 alerts central unit 106, typically via afulfillment center computer 108, which in turn alerts one or moreportable staff units 104 that the order is ready for pickup and deliveryto a patron. Central unit 106 also may transmit other information to theportable patron units 102 such as advertisements, messages, resortinformation, Internet access, and other information that may hetransmitted in response to a patron's request or without a specificpatron's request. Central unit 106 also may maintain a database 112including data associated with a history of transaction data, patronpreferences, patron profiles, and various other information.

One or more programmable software applications 130 may execute oncentral unit 106 (i.e., one or more servers) when handling and servicingrequests from client devices, such as portable patron unit 102 andportable staff unit 104. Programmable software applications 130 may alsoreside on one or more client devices (such as portable patron unit 102,portable staff unit 104 and/or fulfillment center computer computers108). As shall be described in further detail, components ofprogrammable software applications 130 may be configured to perform anyone of a variety of different services associated with patron servicesystem 100. Examples of services include: login verification for patronsusing portable patron units 102; notification to portable staff units104 that an item ordered by a patron is ready for delivery from afulfillment center 109 to a patron; maintaining one or more databases112 associated with patron service system 100; routing orders toappropriate fulfillment centers; providing food and drink menus toparticular portable patron units 102; enabling patrons to orderdifferent items; and so on. The services can be combined with each otherand with other applications to build intelligent interactive experienceson both the portable patron units 102 and portable staff units 104.

Although only one central unit 106 is shown in the exemplaryillustration, more than one central unit 106 may be deployed in patronservice system 100. Additionally, some or all the functionalityperformed by central unit 106, may be performed in a distributed fashionby one or more portable patron units 102, one or more portable staffunits 104, and/or one or more fulfillment center computers 108.

In one implementation, network 110 includes one or more Wi-Fi (wirelessfidelity) hubs 111(I), 111(2), 111(N) that are IEEE 802.11 standardprotocol compatible, such as standard versions 802.11b, 802.11g, etc.Accordingly, portable patron units 102, portable staff units 104,central computer 106, and fulfillment center computers 108 maycommunicate with network 110 wirelessly. Accordingly, portable patronunits 102 and portable staff units 104 are configured to communicatewith other devices wirelessly, allowing them to move freely indesignated areas of an resort 101, such as the beach, pool, lounge, etc.Typically, these designated areas are located within a reception rangeof approximately 400 feet in any direction of the one or more wirelesshubs (such as hubs 111(1), 111(2), . . . , 111(N), which are referred toas “hot spots.”

Network 110 may also use one or more other types of wireless networks,such as Bluetooth compatible networks, or future technologies. Network110 may also include a combination of wireless-based and wired/opticalbased communication links. For instance, portable patron units 102 andportable staff units 104 may use wireless links to receive and transmitdata, whereas fulfillment center computers 108 may use wired or opticallinks to access and transmit data. Additionally, it may also be possiblefor various devices to communicate directly with other devices withoutusing network 110 as a communication link. For example, it may bepossible for portable patron unit 102(1) to communicate directly withportable staff unit 104(1) via a wireless link 132. Network 110 may alsoinclude access to other networks, such as the Internet.

Accordingly, portable patron units 102, portable staff units 104,central unit 106, and fulfillment center computers 108 are designed toeither run or interface with one or more programmable softwareapplications 130 that are programmable application components, that arereusable, and that interact programmatically over network 110 or throughother communication links, typically through standard Web protocols,such as extensible markup language (XML), hypertext transport protocol(HTTP), and simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), However, other meansof interacting with over network 110 may be used, such as simple objectaccess protocol (SOAP), remote procedure call (RPC) or object brokertype technology.

Thus, patron service system 100 offers a comprehensive and integratedsolution to meet the needs of both the patron and a resort. Patronsbenefit from faster service, greater control over their service,increased convenience, and improved personalized attention. Resort 101benefits from the ability to enhance the patron's experience andincrease patron satisfaction, the opportunity to generate higherincremental revenues, and the savings from faster and more efficientoperations.

Exemplary patron service system 100 is only one example of a computingsystem and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope ofuse or functionality of the system. Neither should patron service system100 be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating toany one or combination of components illustrated in the exemplarycomputing environment shown in FIG. 1.

Having introduced exemplary patron service system 100 and itsenvironments, it is now possible to describe patron service system 100in more detail.

Exemplary Portable Patron Unit

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary portable patron unit 102. Portablepatron unit 102 is typically a handheld device that may be carried by apatron, attached to a patron's lounge chair, table, other furniture, orattached directly to the patron, such as the patron's belt or awristband.

An outer protective casing, referred to as packaging 202, is designed tobe highly rugged, provide protection from the sun, saltwater, chlorine,sand, suntan lotion, spilled food, and/or drink. Such casing providesprotection for any or all components of portable patron unit 102.Packaging 202 may be made of any number of materials including, but notlimited to, plastic, metal, and/or wood. For example, in oneimplementation, packaging 202 is constructed of injection-moldedhigh-impact polycarbonate designed to meet the LEC 529 IP 54 standardsfor water and dust/sand protection and may be configured into variousshapes and sizes. Portable patron unit 102 includes a display device114, which in one exemplary implementation is a touch-screen displaydevice, which enables a patron to select or enter information by simplytouching the screen. To provide excellent visibility to a patron,information is typically displayed large enough on display device 114 toenable a person suffering from mild myopia to view content on displaydevice 114 without the aid of corrective lenses. For example, in oneimplementation display device 114 is a five-inch grayscale QVGAtransflective, backlit touch-screen LCD (liquid crystal display) andfont sizes are displayed big enough to readily view them on displaydevice 114. Additionally, magnifying materials (not shown) may be usedin conjunction with display device 114 to enlarge content displayedtherein. Various other types of display screens, sizes, and shapes maybe chosen to implement display device 114. Additionally, display device114 can be implemented without the benefit of touch-screen technologyand rely on other types of input devices such as a keyboard, buttons,input pads, etc., to enter information into the portable patron unit102.

Portable patron unit 102 also may include audio generators (such as oneor more speakers not shown) for dissemination of audio content. Theaudio content may be in various forms and may be in conjunction withvisual content.

Other elements such as lights, LEDs, batteries, power supplies, chargingconnections, microphones, vibrating devices, antennae and so forth arealso not shown in FIG. 2, but may be a part of the exemplary portablepatron unit 102. Typically, portable patron unit 102 contains a controlunit 201, which controls the operation of portable patron unit 102.Control unit 201 includes one or more processors 206 (e.g., any ofmicroprocessors, controllers, and the like), which process variousinstructions to control the operation of portable patron unit 102 and tocommunicate with other electronic and computing devices.

Control unit 201 can be implemented with one or more memory components(i.e., memory 216), examples of which include volatile memory 210 (e.g.,a random access memory (RAM) and the like), and a non-volatile memory212 (e.g., ROM, Flash, EPROM, EEPROM, a hard disk drive, any type ofmagnetic or optical storage device, and the like). The one or morememory components store computer-executable instructions in the form ofprogram applications, routines, modules and other applications.Additionally, various forms of information and/or data can be stored involatile or non-volatile memory. Alternative implementations of controlunit 201 can include a range of processing and memory capabilities, andmay include any number of memory components other than those illustratedin FIG. 2. For example, full-resource portable patron units 102 can beimplemented with substantial memory and processing resources, orlow-resource portable patron units 102 can be implemented with limitedprocessing and memory capabilities.

An operating system 222, such as Windows®CE operating system fromMicrosoft® Corporation or other operating systems, and one or moreapplication programs 224 may be resident in memory 216 and execute onprocessor(s) 206 to provide a runtime environment. A runtime environmentfacilitates extensibility of portable patron unit 102 by allowingvarious interfaces to be defined that, in turn, allow applicationprograms 130 to interact with control unit 201. The application programs130 can include off-the-shelf program applications 224, such as abrowser to browse the Web (e.g., “World Wide Web”), e-mail applicationto e-mail messages, and other off-the-shelf programs.

The application programs 130 can also include one or more other programsconfigured to provide resort specific user interfaces including menusand information directed to patrons. Such application programs mayinclude: an order/service application 226, a patron application 227, andan advertisement application 229. Each of these patron orientedapplication programs typically executes on processor(s) 206 and may bestored in non-volatile memory 212 and/or volatile memory such as someform of volatile memory 210.

Order/service application 226 generally facilitates displayinginteractive menus for ordering items, requesting services, and viewinginformation offered by resort 101 including viewing activities. Examplesof items that may be ordered include, but are not limited to, food,beverages, rental equipment, and sundry items. Examples of servicesinclude, but are not limited to, requesting a bill, paging a staffperson, scheduling a spa appointment, making a reservation, and soforth. Order/service application 226 also may facilitate displayinginformation associated with scheduling activities, which include but arenot limited to, reserving a tennis court, reserving a tee time,requesting a boat, browsing and selecting tours, etc. Order/serviceapplication 226 also may prompt portable patron unit 102 to page a staffmember when a patron selects a menu option, hard button, or otherselection means, which activates a page mode.

Patron application 227 generally facilitates authenticating a patron'scredentials/identification when logging onto the system or prior tosubmitting an order or a request. Authentication may involve requestingthat the patron enter a security code or provide a biometric sample,such as a fingerprint as a security measure when logging onto the systemor placing orders. Patron application 227 also may facilitate receivingor displaying personal preference information, needs, or requests of thepatron. Preference information, needs, or requests may include, but arenot limited to, dietary restrictions, medical needs, emergency contacts,and so forth. Patron application 227 may also facilitate receiving andviewing personal as well as general messages, such as a phone messageleft for a patron, or an announcement from resort 101 of a schedulingchange, such as a buffet opening delay.

Advertisement application 229 generally facilitates displayingpromotional messages and/or advertisements on display device 114.

Advertisement application 229 may also facilitate displaying informationsuch as cross-sell and/or up sell recommendations based on an itemordered and/or service requested by a patron. For instance, a cross-sellrecommendation may include providing alternative or competing brands offood or drink, while an up sell recommendation may include offering amore expensive, promotional, or better quality food or drink as analternative to what the patron may have selected.

Other applications, routines, programs and modules may execute onprocessor(s) 206. For instance, a location module 231 executes onprocessor(s) 206 and resides in memory 216 and/or volatile memory 210.Location module 231 is typically a background program that transmitsinformation in the form of one or more signals to enable other devicesto determine where portable patron unit 102 is located.

Additionally, other applications programs 130 operating in conjunctionwith control unit 201 of portable patron unit 102 may offer a patron theability to play games, view and listen to music or videos, and conducttwo-way conversations, etc., through one or more other applicationprograms, routines, etc. For instance, with different storage offerings,games can be played from local memory 216 or from an online sourceprovided by central unit 106 or via the Internet. Portable patron unit102 may be configured to browse or access information from the Internet.Portable patron unit 102 also may include telephony access, such asVoice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) capability enabling a patron use theportable patron unit 102 to receive/make telephone calls, speak to otherpatrons or staff members, speak to a staff member in a fulfillment 109and so forth.

Accordingly, application programs 130 (such as application programs 224,226, 227, and 229), as well as module 231 execute on processor(s) 206and can be stored as computer-executable instructions in memory ofportable patron unit 102. Although application programs 224, 226, 227,229, and module 231 are illustrated and described as single applicationsor module(s), each can be implemented as one or more combined componentapplications or modules, and can be fully or partially received fromother devices, such as one or more servers (e.g., central unit 106).

For purposes of illustration, programs and other executable programcomponents such as the operating system are illustrated herein asdiscrete blocks. However, it is recognized that such programs andcomponents may reside at various times in different storage componentsof portable patron unit 102, or other components of patron servicesystem 100, and may be executed by one or more processors that are notnecessarily part of portable patron unit 102 (such as one or moreprocessor(s) of central unit 106). Additionally, programs, such asapplication programs 224, 226, 227, 229, and module 231, are fullycustomizable. Control unit 201 may further include one or morecommunication interfaces 228, such as a Wi-Fi PC card (not shown), whichenables control unit 201 to receive and transmit information wirelesslyusing 802.11 compliant protocols. The Wi-Fi PC card in conjunction withcontrol unit 201 collectively forms a wireless communication unitconfigured to connect the portable patron unit to network 110. Althoughnot shown in FIG. 2, it is appreciated that one or more antennae areused to emit and transfer signals from portable patron unit 102. Anoptional modem 230 facilitates communication with other electronic andcomputing devices via a conventional telephone line, or other type ofconnection such as cable.

Control unit 201 may also include a content processor (e.g.,processor(s) 206), which can include a video encoder and/or additionalprocessors to receive, process, and encode recorded video signalsincluding analog video signals, as well as television system digitalvideo signals. For example, a content processor can include an MPEG-2 orMPEG-4 (Moving Pictures Experts Group) encoder that encodes MPEG videocontent and/or image data. The systems described herein can beimplemented for any type of video encoding format as well as for dataand/or content streams that are not encoded.

Typically, video content and program data includes video data andcorresponding audio data. One or more other processors, such asprocessor(s) 206, may generate video and/or display content that isformatted for display on display device 114, and generatesencoded/decoded audio data that is formatted for presentation by apresentation device, such as one or more speakers (not shown) in displaydevice 114. Processor(s) 206 can include a display controller (notshown) that processes the video and/or display content to displaycorresponding images on display device 114. A display controller caninclude a graphics processor, microcontroller, integrated circuit,and/or similar video-processing component to process the images.

Control unit 201 also includes an audio and/or video output 240 thatprovides, or otherwise renders the audio, video, and/or displaysignals/data to display device 114. Video signals and audio signals canbe communicated from control unit 201 to display device 114 via anysuitable video links, such as a S-video link, composite video link,component video link, or other similar communication link.

Although shown separately, some of the components of control unit 201may be implemented in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).Additionally, a system bus (not shown) typically connects the variouscomponents within control unit 201. A system bus can be implemented asone or more of any of several types of bus structures, including amemory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an acceleratedgraphics port, or a local bus using any of a variety of busarchitectures. By way of example, such architectures can include anIndustry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Micro Channel Architecture(MCA) bus, an Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, a Video Electronics StandardsAssociation (VESA) local bus, or a Peripheral Component Interconnects(PCI) bus (also known as a Mezzanine bus).

Additional components may be included in portable patron unit 102 andsome components illustrated in portable patron unit 102 above need nothe included. For example, a camera (not shown) could be added toportable patron unit, and modem 230 may not be included.

Exemplary Portable Staff Unit

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary portable staff unit 104. Portable staffunit 104 may be similar or identical to portable patron unit 102 interms of physical hardware and packaging. Portable staff unit 104,nevertheless, may be implemented in various shapes and sizes, and may beconfigured to mount on a waiter's tray or include handles (not shown) toenable enhanced portability when carrying portable staff unit 104.

Control unit 301 is similar to control unit 201 described above withreference to FIG. 2, and may use many of the same types of components.Control unit 301, however, may include different application programs130 to provide a different runtime environment that is particularlysuited for staff members of resort 101. For example, control unit 301may include the following application programs 130: an order/serviceapplication 326; a patron information application 327; a real-timeactivity application 329; and a location application 331. Collectively,each of these program applications generate a user interface on displaydevice 116 that enables a staff member to, for example, view detailsabout a patron's order; determine a location of a portable patron unit;receive notification of when an order is ready for delivery and deliveryto a patron; and view details about a patron, such as a room number,preference information of the patron and special needs or requests ofthe patron.

For example, order/service application 326 generally facilitatesdisplaying details of an order and/or a request, such as items orderedor type of services requested by a patron. Order/service application 326also facilities displaying a notification indicating (i) when an orderor request is ready for delivery to a patron from a fulfillment center109, or (ii) when a patron has requested delivery of a bill or paged astaff member.

Patron information application 327 generally facilitates displayingdetails about a patron, such as their name, room number, history,preferences, special needs/or personal requests, and so forth.

Real-time activity application 329 generally facilitates displayingactions performed by patrons as they use their portable patron units 102in real-time. For example, real-time activity application 329 maydisplay a description of actions performed by a patron selecting itemsfrom a food menu as the patron selects the items in real-time on his/herportable patron unit 102. Location application 331 facilitatesdisplaying real-time locations of a particular portable patron unit 102to enable staff members to locate a particular patron when responding toa request or when delivering/serving an item.

Accordingly, application programs 130 (i.e., 224, 326, 327, 329, and331) execute on processor(s) 306 and can be stored ascomputer-executable instructions in memory of portable staff unit 302.Although application programs 224, 326, 327, 329, and 331 areillustrated and described as single applications or module(s), each canbe implemented as one or more combined component applications, and canbe fully or partially received from other devices, such as one or moreservers, (e.g., central unit 106).

For purposes of illustration, programs and other executable programcomponents such as the operating system are illustrated herein asdiscrete blocks, although it is recognized that such programs andcomponents reside at various times in different storage components ofportable staff unit 104, or other components of patron service system100, and may be executed by one or more processors that are notnecessarily part of portable staff unit 104 (such as one or moreprocessor(s) of central unit 106). Additionally, programs, such asapplication programs 224, 226, 227, 229, and module 231, are fullycustomizable.

Other elements such as lights, LEDs, batteries, power supplies, chargingconnections, microphones, vibrating devices, antennae and so forth arealso not shown in either FIG. 2 or 3, but may be a part of the exemplaryportable staff unit 104.

Exemplary Central Unit

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a central unit 106 within whichapplication programs 130 and other functionalities described herein canbe either fully or partially implemented. Central unit 106 can heimplemented with numerous other general purpose or special purposecomputing systems and/or configurations that may be suitable for useincluding, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers,multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, network PCs,minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing environmentsthat include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

Application programs 130 may be described in the general context ofcomputer-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines,programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that performparticular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.Application programs 130 may also be practiced in distributed computingenvironments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices(e.g, portable patron units 102 and portable staff units 104) that arelinked through a communications network or other network(s), such asnetwork 110. In a distributed computing environment, program modules maybe located in both local and remote computer storage media includingmemory storage devices.

The components of central unit 106 can include, but are not limited to,one or more processors (or processing units) 404 and memory 406.Although not shown, a system bus typically connects the variouscomponents within central unit 106.

Memory 406 represents a variety of computer readable media. Such mediacan be any available media that is accessible by central unit 106 (orprocessors 404) and includes both volatile and non-volatile media,removable and non-removable media. For instance, memory 406, may includecomputer readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as RAMand/or non-volatile memory, such as ROM.

Memory 406 can also include other removable/non-removable,volatile/non-volatile computer storage media. Such examples include ahard disk drive (not shown) for reading from and writing to anon-removable, non-volatile magnetic media (not shown), a magnetic diskdrive for reading from and writing to a removable, non-volatile magneticdisk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), or an optical disk drive for reading fromand/or writing to a removable, non-volatile optical disk (not shown)such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical media.

Memory 406 and its associated computer-readable media providenon-volatile storage of computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules, and other data for central unit 106. Other types ofcomputer readable media which can store data that is accessible by acentral unit 106 can also be utilized to implement memory 406, examplesof such include flash memory cards, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks(DVD) or other optical storage, random access memories (RAM), read onlymemories (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory(EEPROM), and the like,.

Any number of program modules can be stored in memory 406, including byway of example, an operating system 426, one or more applicationprograms 130, other program modules 430, and program data 432. Each ofsuch operating system 426, one or more application programs 130, otherprogram modules 430, and program data 432 (or some combination thereof)may include an embodiment of application programs 130. Memory 406 mayalso include one or more databases 112 containing data and informationenabling functionality associated with application programs 130. In oneimplementation, operating system 426 includes the Windows® XP operatingsystem from Microsoft® Corporation. Other operating systems may beresident in memory 406 such as UNIX and/or Linux.

A user can enter commands and information into central unit 106 viainput devices such as a keyboard 434 and a pointing device 436 (e.g., a“mouse”). Other input devices 438 (not shown specifically) may include amicrophone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, serial port, scanner,and/or the like. These and other input devices are connected toprocessor 404 via interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port,game port, or a universal serial bus (USB). Staff members of a resortcan enter programmable information into central unit 106 such as whenupdating and configuring menus, managing. food and beverage menus,listing daily specials, defining serving zones of staff members,managing staff member assignments and deployment of portable staff unitsamong staff members of resort 101, and other information to be displayedon either portable patron units 102 or portable staff units 104.

A monitor 442 or other type of display device can also be connected tothe central unit 106 via an interface, such as a video adapter 444. Inaddition to the monitor 442, other output peripheral devices can includecomponents such as speakers (not shown) and a printer 446 which can beconnected to central unit 106 via input/output interfaces (not shown).

Central unit 106 can operate in a networked environment, orpoint-to-point environment, using logical connections to one or moreremote computers, such as portable patron units 102, portable staff unit104, fulfillment center computers 108, network 110, hubs 111 , and soforth. A network interface or adapter 454 may provide access to network110, such as when network 110 is implemented as a LAN (local areanetwork) or WAN (wide area network).

In a networked environment, such as that illustrated in FIG. 4, programmodules and program applications 130 depicted relative to central unit106, or portions thereof, may be stored in a remote memory storagedevice. By way of example, application programs 130 may reside on amemory device in portable patron unit 102, portable staff unit 104, etc.For purposes of illustration, application programs and other executableprogram components, such as the operating system, are illustrated hereinas discrete blocks, although it is recognized that such programs andcomponents reside at various times in different storage componentsremote or locate, and are executed by processor(s) of central unit 106or remote devices.

As mentioned above, memory 406 includes application programs 130 as wellone or more databases 112. Application programs 130 that utilized byboth portable patron units 102 and portable staff units 104 (such asapplication programs 224, 226, 227, 229, 326, 327, 329, and 331) aregenerally managed and controlled by central unit 106. Database 112generally includes data and information necessary to support applicationprograms 130. For example, advertisement application 229 facilitatesdisplaying promotional messages and/or advertisements on display device114. Central unit 106 supplies the promotional messages and/oradvertisements (the content) to portable patron units 102 in conjunctionwith advertisement application 229.

Accordingly, central unit 106 acts as a server to client devices suchportable patron units 102 and portable staff units 104. In a serverrole, central unit 106 supplies content to portable patron units 102 andportable staff units 104. The content is stored in memory 406 in theform of data that may be maintained in one or more databases 112. In oneimplementation database 112 is maintained by a Microsoft's SQL server2000, although other database management systems may be used, such asIBM's DB2 database software, or off-the-shelf database managementsystems from other companies such as Sybase, Informix, and so forth.

Memory 406 includes several application programs 130 particularly suitedfor central unit 106, and is used to potentially service otherapplication programs or for providing management capability for centralunit 106. For example memory 406 includes: a routing application 480,database application 482, a location application 484, a staff-inputapplication 486, and POS interface 488.

Routing application 480 generally facilities receiving orders and/orrequests from portable patron units 102 and routing them to afulfillment center computer 108 responsible for handling the orderand/or request. Database application 482 generally facilitates storingand maintaining data in one or more databases 112. For instance,database application 482 may maintain menu items including descriptionsof the items, prices, photos, etc. in database(s) 112. Databaseapplication 482 may also maintain a history of transaction data, patronpreferences, etc. which can all be used for patron profile maintenance.Database application 482 may also maintain data associated with staffperformance, such as the number of orders completed, time used tofulfill orders, etc. Typically, information maintained in one or moredatabases 112 may be accessed by various other program applications 130when requested.

Location application 484 facilitates locating portable patron devices102 based on signals emitted by its control unit 201. Locationapplication 484 may use 802.11 location finding technology to determinelocations of portable patron devices 102 and relay their positions toportable staff units 104. In one implementation, location application484 uses positioning technology developed by Ekahau, Inc. of Helsinki,Finland, such as Ekahau Positioning Engine™ (EPE), which is a Java-basedpositioning program that provides location coordinates of portabledevices such as portable patron units 102 and portable staff units 104.Utilizing EPE's engine would enable central unit 106 to determine thelocation of portable patron unit 102 accurate to within three and halffeet of the unit's actual location both indoors and outdoors.Accordingly, once a portable patron unit 102 is logged onto the system100 and emits a wireless signal to hubs 111, central unit 106 would thenbe able to track the location of the portable patron unit 102 inreal-time. This information can then be relayed to one or more portablestaff units 104, which display the patron unit's location on a mapassociated with any area or zone being served by the portable staffunits 104. Alternatively, global positioning technology could also beused to track the location of portable patron units 102.

Staff-input application 486 enables staff members of resort 101 to enterinformation into central unit 106, such as daily specials, updates tomenus, price changes, messages to staff members or patrons, securityinformation, and so forth that is then stored in memory 406 (such asdatabase 112) and may be utilized by applications 130.

POS interface application 488 facilitates integrating POS and hotelmanagement systems with central unit 106. For instance, in oneimplementation POS interface application 488 includes ApplicationProgramming Interfaces (APIs) that may serve as an interface layerbetween POS interface application 488 and other POS and hotel managementsystems. Alternatively, direct interfaces may be used in the event APItechnology is not available with POS and hotel management systems.

Thus, application programs 130 (i.e., 224, 226, 227, 229, 326, 327, 329,331, 480, 482, 484, 486, 488) may execute on processor(s) 404 and can bestored as computer-executable instructions in memory 406 accessible bycentral unit 106. Although application programs 130 are illustrated anddescribed as single applications or module(s), each can be implementedas one or more combined component applications, and can be fully orpartially received from other devices.

For purposes of illustration, programs and other executable programcomponents such as the operating system are illustrated herein asdiscrete blocks, although it is recognized that such programs andcomponents reside at various times in different storage components ofcentral unit 106, or other components of patron service system 100, andmay be executed by one or more processors that are not necessarily partof central unit 106.

It should be noted that central unit 106 may include other capabilitiessuch as the ability to serve games, serve music, and/or videos toportable patron units 102. Central unit 106 may also act as an IP routerswitch enabling VoIP or Voice Over WiFi-capability between portablepatron units 102 and other devices connected to network 110.

Exemplary System Operation

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary display screen 500 rendered on a displaydevice 114 (FIG. 1) of portable patron unit 102. In particular, displayscreen 500 provides a user selectable menu, which enables the patron tobrowse information, request services, and/or order items as well asother functionalities. Display screen 500 forms part of a userinteractive interface and includes a main menu 501 having selectableicons, such as a resort services icon 502, a resort activity icon 504,and a food/beverage menu 506. Selecting resort services icon 502activates a mode of operation for portable patron unit 102 associatedwith order/service application 226 (FIG. 2), such as receivinginformation about the hotel, requesting non-food services, etc.

Selecting resort activities icon 504 activates a mode of operation alsoassociated with order/service application 226 (FIG. 2) such asdisplaying information associated with scheduling activities, which mayinclude reserving a tennis court, reserving a tee time, requesting aboat, browsing and selecting tours, scheduling a massage, etc.

Selecting food/beverage icon 506 activates a mode of operation alsoassociated with order/service application 226 (FIG. 2) such as viewing afood or beverage menu, browsing nutritional information, ordering foodor beverages, and so forth. As represented in FIG. 5, a patron hasselected food/beverage icon 506. Accordingly, the next user interface tobe displayed by control unit 201 (FIG. 2) will pertain to viewingfood/beverage menus and/or ordering items associated with such menus.

Portable patron unit 102 may include a button 508, an icon (not shown)on display screen 500, or other related selection means such as aswitch, key, etc., that provides a means for a patron to prompt portablepatron unit 102 to wirelessly page a staff member for immediate service.For example, pressing button 508 causes portable patron unit to select apaging mode associated with order/service application 226 (FIG. 2).

Although only these three icons and button 508 are shown in FIG. 5, anycombination of differing types of additional information can be includedin display screen 500 to further enable a patron to interact withportable patron unit. For instance, display screen 500 may includeadditional icons associated with purchasing other products, viewingother information such as messages or browsing the Internet, conductingVOIP conversations, and so forth. Other selectable elements could beused, instead of, or in conjunction with icons such as a keypad/keyboard(not shown), a pointing device (not shown), and/or a mouse (not shown),etc. Additionally, one or more of the icons on display screen 500 mayappear on other display screens/pages presented on display device 114.Accordingly, some or all of the icons may be displayed in differentformats, in different screens, in different order, with differentverbiage, etc.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary display screen 600 presented to patronson display device 114 after selecting food/beverage icon 506 shown inFIG. 5 or maybe also after selecting a beverage menu icon (not shown).In particular, display screen 600 provides a user selectable menu, whichenables the patron to browse information regarding and/or order itemsassociated with ordering beverages. Control unit 201 facilitates displayof display screen 600.

Display screen 600 includes an exemplary beverage menu 602 for orderingblended drinks that may be selected after selecting a mixed drink iconor button (not shown). Beverage menu 602 may be one of several menusthat a patron can access after selecting food/beverage icon 506 andseveral intermediate food or beverage menus may be selected by a patronbefore arriving at beverage menu 602. Beverage menu 602 includesparticular beverage icons 604, prices associated with the a particularbeverage, and a selectable control 606 within screen 600 to generatedifferent beverage selection screens, such as by manipulating arrows ina selectable control 606 or by other screen selection/manipulation meanssuch as tabs, buttons, etc. Additionally, the beverage choices may bedepicted in several display windows.

Also depicted in display screen 600 is an advertisement 608.

Advertisements are generally generated by a mode of operation associatedwith advertisement application 229. The advertisement generationcorrelates (i.e. is appurtenant) to the item viewed or ordered by thepatron, which in this example relates to buying three frozen margaritasfor the price of two. The advertisement could also correlate to aservice requested. Another advertisement 610 may be displayed inconjunction with advertisement 608 (although it may be displayedseparately). In this example, advertisement 610 is a promotion messagedetailing a happy hour special. Although not shown in this example, theadvertisement could also be displayed on display screen 600 or otherscreens to cross-sell and/or up sell recommendations based on an itemordered and/or service requested by a patron. For instance, a cross-sellrecommendation may include providing an alternative or competing brandof margarita mix or an alternative type of alcohol. An up sellrecommendation may include offering a more expensive, promotional, orbetter quality alcohol as an alternative to what the patron may haveselected.

Order another round icon 612 allows a patron to automatically orderanother round of drinks or other items previously ordered by selectingicon 612. Selecting icon 613 may display items that the patronpreviously ordered during the day, making it easy to view previous orderand order one or more items based on the logged history.

Although not shown, display screen 600 may also include selection itemsenabling a patron to customize orders, select condiments, selectpreparation methods, select side dishes, etc. For instance, displayscreen 600 may display a flavor associated with a drink, the option toorder the drink with or without salt, the option to order the drink withor without ice, and so forth. Each of the options presented typicallyrelate to the item selected by the patron and can be tailored by aresort through the use of patron service system 100.

It is noted that display screen 600 is only one example of screens thatmay be used in association with ordering items or requesting services.Additionally, one or more of the icons present on display screen 600 mayappear on other display screens presented on display device 114.Accordingly, some or all of the icons may be displayed in differentformats, in different screens, in different order, with differentverbiage, etc. It is also appreciated that one or more portions ofscreen 600 are customizable and may not be presented in certainimplementations.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary display screen 700 presented to patronsafter selecting food/beverage items for order. In particular, displayscreen 700 provides a user selectable menu, which enables the patron topreview, correct or change selected items before actual submission ofthe order. Control unit 201 facilitates display of display screen 700.

Display screen 700 may includes confirmation information 702. Forinstance, once the item or service is chosen and a patron indicatescompletion of the selection by touching confirmation icon 704, thepatron may be prompted to enter security, identification or otherinformation before the order/request is processed such as viainformation block 706. This is to ensure that the patron isauthenticated before the order/request is accepted. In oneimplementation, the information is entered into information block 706 byinteracting with a touch-screen. Alternatively, in other implementationsthis information may be entered via a keypad (not shown), or by othermeans such as by biometrics.

The patron may preview an order before submitting it as via a previewarea 712. To confirm the information displayed in preview area 712, thepatron would select a “submit now” type of button or use some other toolor any other selection means. To cancel the order/request, the patronwould select a cancel icon 708 or any other selection means. To corrector change information, the patron would select a correction icon 710 orany other selection means.

Display area 714 may indicate real-time information relating to apending order. For example, display area 714 may indicate that an orderis currently pending in the kitchen and thus is not available fordelivery by a waiter yet. Using display area 714, a patron may be keptabreast of the status of his order in real-time.

A preference icon 716 may also be presented to a patron enabling apatron to input or view preference information associated with thepatron including: special needs/requests of the patron; dietaryrestrictions; medical needs; and/or information associated with thepatron from prior visits to resort 101.

FIG. 7 is only an example screen. Some or all of the icons may bedisplayed in different formats, in different screens, in differentorder, with different verbiage, etc. Portions of display screen 700 areoptional and may not be presented in certain implementations.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary display screen 800 rendered on a displaydevice 116 (Fig. I) of portable staff unit 104. Display screen 800 isused by staff members to view notifications and other informationassociated with servicing patrons. For instance, in one implementation,display screen 800 includes selectable icons (e.g., 810, 812, 814, 816,818, 820, 822, 824, 826, 828, and 830), some of which display dynamicinformation. Dynamic information that a staff member may view on displayscreen 800 may include a quantity of patrons currently logged onto thesystem, the quantity of orders pending, the quantity of patrons locatedin certain areas of the resort, a quantity of patrons having requestedtheir bills, a quantity of patrons currently preparing order, thequantity of patrons browsing on their portable patron units 102, etc.Control unit 301 facilitates display of display screen 800.

Display screen 800 may include an icon listing the name of a staffmember 804 recognized by patron service system 100 as using thisparticular portable patron unit 104. Display screen 800 may also includea date and time bar or icon 806.

Display screen 800 may include a service request icon 810 indicating thequantity of patrons with a pending service request. The service requestmay involve a page from a patron for immediate service, or some othertype of service offered by resort 101 to patrons. To ascertain detailsabout one or more requests, the staff member would select icon 810(i.e., touch icon 810), which would prompt a window or new displayscreen to appear on display device 116 that would describe specificdetails of the request.

Display screen 800 may include a bill request icon 812 indicating thequantity of patrons with a pending bill request. If the bill request waspending, the staff member would select icon 812, which would prompt awindow or new display screen to appear on display device 116 that maydescribe which patrons are requesting their bill, further details aboutbills, patron identification, itemized information, payment methods,etc.

Display screen 800 may include a delivery notification icon 814indicating how many orders are ready for delivery in fulfillment centers109. If an order was ready for delivery, the staff member could selecticon 814, which would prompt a window or new display screen to appear ondisplay device 116 that would describe which orders were ready fordelivery, and details of the orders, such as the fulfillment center 109location of the prepared orders, the identification of the patronwaiting to receive the order.

Display screen 800 may also include an ordered notification icon 816indicating how many non-service orders are pending. To ascertain detailsabout the order, the staff member may select icon 816, which wouldprompt a window or new display screen to appear on display device 116that would describe specific details about the pending order.

Display screen 800 may include a real-time ordering notification icon818 indicating how many patrons are currently ordering items. If apatron were in the process of making an order, the staff member couldselect icon 818 which would prompt a window or new display screen toappear on display device 116 enabling the staff member to view actionsperformed by the patron as they are performed by the patron in real-timewhen making an order.

Display screen 800 may include a browsing notification icon 820indicating how many patrons are currently browsing information on theirportable patron units 102. To view what a certain patron is browsing,the staff member may select icon 820, which may prompt a window or newdisplay screen to appear on display device 116 that would show or listdetails about the patron's activities in real-time.

Display screen 800 may include a pool-online icon 822 indicating howmany patrons are logged onto patron service system 100 and are locatedat the pool. In the exemplary illustration, 14 patrons are activelyon-line. To ascertain details about the patrons on-line, such as theirnames, exact locations, and so forth, the staff member may select icon822 (i.e., touch icon 822), which would prompt a window or new displayscreen to appear on display device 116 describing details about thepatrons using portable patron units located around the resort's pool.

Display screen 800 may include a beach-online icon 824 indicating howmany patrons are logged onto patron service system 100 and are locatedat the beach. In the exemplary illustration, six patrons are activelyon-line. To ascertain details about the patrons on-line, such as theirnames, locations, and so forth, the staff member may select icon 824,which would prompt a window or new display screen to appear on displaydevice 116 describing details about the patrons using portable patronunits located on the beach.

Display screen 800 may include a menu icon 826, which when selected mayprompt a window or new display screens enabling staff-members to viewfood and beverage menus. Accordingly, a portable staff unit 104 canperform ordering functions like a portable patron unit 102, such asplacing an order, which allows staff members to instantly transmit anorder taken verbally such as where a patron prefers not to enter theorder directly on their portable patron unit 102. Menu icon 826 may alsoenable a staff member to “take over” an order from portable patron unit102, edit and transmit the order, such as where the patron is havingdifficulty with the system.

Display screen 800 may include a patron icon 828, which when selectedwould prompt a window or new display screens enabling staff-members toview information about particular patrons.

Display screen 800 may include a staff/messages icon 830 that may flashor light-up indicating that the staff member has received a message orbeen paged. To ascertain details about the message, the staff member mayselect icon 830, which would prompt a window or new display screen toappear on display device 116 that describes details about the message.When a message is received, portable staff unit 104 may also vibrate orring to alert the staff member of the message.

FIG. 8 is only an example screen. Some or all of the icons may bedisplayed in different formats, in different screens, in differentorder, with different verbiage, etc. Portions of display screen 800 areoptional and may not be presented in certain implementations.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary display screen 900 providing detailsabout an order to a staff member. Display screen 900 is typicallyprompted after a staff member selects ordered icon 816. Display screen900 may include information identifying the patron (902), such as thepatron's name, room number, and seat-number (such as at a pool or in arestaurant or any other location information). Additional informationmay be provided, including a patron's preferences, history, specialrequests, medical requests, etc. Display screen 900 may also specifyitems ordered 904 such as a type of liquor, brand of water, etc. Controlunit 301 (FIG. 3) facilitates display of display screen 900.

A staff member may quickly locate the patron by selecting locate patronicon 906, which may prompt a map associated with resort 101 and thelocation of the portable patron unit 102 used by the patron.

Once an order is delivered to a patron, a staff member may press orderdelivered icon 908, which prompts portable patron unit 104 to send amessage to central unit 106 closing out the open order. A staff membermay also return to the main menu by selecting icon 910.

It should be appreciated that FIG. 9 is only an example screen. Some orall of the icons may be displayed in different formats, in differentscreens, in different order, with different verbiage, etc. Portions ofdisplay screen 900 are optional and may not be presented in certainimplementations.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary display screen 1000 on portable staffunit 104 for displaying locations of portable patron devices. In thisexample, display screen 1000 is typically prompted after a staff memberselects locate patron icon 906 (FIG. 9). Display screen 1000 may includea map 1002 associated with resort 101 and the location of the portablepatron units 1002 indicated by dark blocks, although other shapes,descriptions, etc. may he used to indicate locations of a patron, suchas text, circles, blimps, and various other indicia. Non-shaded blocks,such as block 1006 indicate empty positions not occupied by portablepatron unit 102, although any other item may be used to identify anempty position. Block 1008 includes an identifier, such as an X, whichindicates a precise location of a particular portable patron unit 102that has requested a service and/or an order that is to be delivered.Other identifiers may he used to indicate the relative location of aportable patron unit 102, or lack thereof, such as a bulls-eye, anarrow, a flashing block, and various other indicia. Pinpointing thelocation of a patron enables efficient and effective service of mobilepatrons while in any areas of a resort. The relative location of theportable patron unit 102 can be dynamically displayed in real-time asthe patron moves from one area of resort 101 to another area the resort101, such as from the beach to the pool.

FIG. 10 is only an example screen. Some or all of the icons may bedisplayed in different formats, in different screens, in differentorder, and with different verbiage, etc. Portions of display screen 1000are optional and may not be presented in certain implementations.Control unit 301 facilitates display of display screen 1000.

Methods for Patron Service System

Methods for patron service system 100 may be described in the generalcontext of computer-executable instructions. Generally,computer-executable instructions include routines, programs, objects,components, data structures, etc. and the like that perform particularfunctions or implement particular abstract data types. The describedmethods may also be practiced in distributed computing environmentswhere functions are performed by remote processing devices that arelinked through a communications network. In a distributed computingenvironment, computer-executable instructions may be located in bothlocal and remote computer storage media, including memory storagedevices.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary method 1100 ofoperation associated with portable patron unit 102. The order in whichthe method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation,and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in anyorder to implement the method. Each of the operations and blocks may beoptional and do not necessarily have to be implemented. Furthermore, themethod can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware,or combination thereof. Exemplary method 1100 includes blocks 1102through 1128.

In block 1102, portable patron units are provided to patrons at aresort, stadium/arena, or other establishments. For example, in a resortenvironment, a portable patron unit 102 maybe provided to a patron atcheck-in, at various areas of the resort, such as arrival at a beach orpool area. The portable patron units may be fastened and locked to achair, lounge, table, etc. Alternatively, patrons may carry the portablepatron units.

In block 1104, the portable patron unit is powered-on and connectswirelessly to a wireless network. For example, portable patron unit 102connects to network 110 and is recognized by central unit 106. A staffmember of resort 101 may enter a patron's room number using displaydevice 114, verify the patron's name as displayed on display device 114as retrieved from database 112 or another memory device such as aresort's Property Management System interface (not shown). At thispoint, the patron may choose a pin security code and verify the pin codefor security purposes.

In block 1106, the portable patron unit transmits signals wirelesslythat enable one or more other devices to determine the location of theportable patron unit. For example, central unit 106 may receivecoordinate information from network 110 based on calculations made froma signal received from the portable patron unit 102 with respect to andthrough one or more hubs III. This coordinate information may betranslated by the central unit 106, mapped to locations associated withresort 101, and sent to other devices (such as portable staff units 104)for display to enable staff members to locate the portable patron unit.

In block 1108, information (also referred to as content) is displayed onportable patron unit 102. The information may include a user interface,display screens including menus, main menus, food and beverage menus,sub-menus associated with the main menus or food and beverage menus,such as specific drinks, appetizers, sandwiches, etc. The menus mayoffer the patron the ability to select a quantity of items desired,prices, selection of condiments, selection of side dishes, preparationmethods, and so forth. A server side device, such as central unit 106,typically supplies the information (i.e., content) to portable patronunit 104.

In block 1110, a patron may order items and/or request services via aportable patron unit 102 and transmit the order/request wirelessly tothe network or directly to other devices via a point-to-point wirelessconnection.

For example, a patron may order items and/or request services via a userinterface on display device 114 of portable patron unit 102 and transmitthe order/request wirelessly to network 1110. When the patron issatisfied with an order and/or request, the patron may press an icon orbutton, or other related mechanism, to transmit the order/request.

In block 1112, if the patron has placed previous orders, the patron canaccess information about the previous order and can re-order any or allof the items. For example, a patron may select previously ordered icon612 (FIG. 6) to automatically order another round of drinks.

In block 1114, the patron may view preferences, special needs, orspecial requests displayed on the portable patron device. For example,portable patron unit 102 may display preference information, specialneeds/requests, and information from prior visits. Additionally, thepatron 102 may enter preference information, special needs/requests andinformation into the portable patron unit 102 for future reference bycentral unit 106 or other devices associated with resort 101.

In block 1116, prior to submitting or accepting an order the portablepatron unit may request that the patron enter security information suchas a PIN code previously selected and entered in to the system by thepatron. This information is then verified and authenticated.Alternatively, other authentication measures could be performed.

In block 1118, advertisements or promotional messages are displayed. Theadvertisements or promotional messages may be generated in response toitems or services requested by the patron. For example, recommendations,promotions, and featured items can be displayed based on items selectedby the patron. The advertisements or promotional messages may includedisplaying cross-sell and/or up-sell recommendations based on the itemsordered and/or services requested by the patrons. The advertisements maynot be related to any response or action performed by a patron.

In block 1120, real-time status information about a pending order may bedisplayed. For example, a display area 714 (FIG. 7) may be generated onportable patron unit 102 providing real-time information relating to apending order or request for service.

In block 1122, paging a staff member or requesting immediate assistanceis enabled. For example, a patron may select a “call service” typebutton, icon, or related mechanism, which prompts portable patron unit102 to page a staff member for immediate assistance.

In block 1124, bill requests are enabled. For example a patron mayselect a button, icon, or related mechanism, which prompts portablepatron unit 102 to transmit a wireless signal requesting delivery of abill. Alternatively, the patron may receive a virtual bill (i.e.,electronic bill) on the display device 114 and approve payment of thebill without the assistance of a staff member.

In block 1126, interactive games may be offered to patrons. For example,interactive games may be selected and played on the portable patronunits 102, including games that utilize the Internet. Additionally,telephony access may be provided to patrons, such VoIP or voice overWIFI capability.

In block 1128, movies, music and static photos may be offered andgenerated for the patron via portable patron unit 102. For example,portable patron units 102 are capable of displaying movies, playingmusic, displaying photos, etc.

It is noted that the patron can press a touch-screen button to end asession and logoff network 110, or the portable patron unit mayautomatically power down and logoff the patron after period of time.

It is also noted that program applications 130 such as off-the-shelfapplication(s) 224 (FIG. 2), order/service application 226 (FIG. 2),patron application 227 (FIG. 2), advertisement application 229 (FIG. 2)as well as location module 231 executing on processor(s) 206 (FIGS. 2)and 408 (FIG. 4) and stored in memory 216 (FIGS. 2) and 406 (FIG. 4)memory, may be implemented to perform one or more portions associatedwith method 1100.

Accordingly, program applications 130 generate menus, user interfaces,guides, screens, etc. for display which enable a patron to navigate andperform activities, order items, request services, browse information(locally or remotely via the Internet), view movies, play and viewinteractive game selections, view and play music selections, conductvoice conversations, etc. Application programs 130 also enable apatron's transactions to be processed.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary method 1200 ofoperation associated with portable staff unit 104. The order in whichthe method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation,and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in anyorder to implement the method. Some of the operations and blocks may beoptional and do not necessarily have to be implemented. Furthermore, themethod can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware,or combination thereof. Exemplary method 1200 includes blocks 1202through 1226.

In block 1202, portable staff units are provided to staff members at aresort, stadium/arena, or other establishments. For example, in a resortenvironment, a portable staff unit 104 maybe provided to a waiter foruse in a pool area, to another waiter servicing the beach, and so forth.Staff members may carry the portable staff units 104.

In block 1204, the portable staff unit is powered-on and connects to awireless network. For example, portable staff unit 104 connects tonetwork 110 and is recognized by central unit 106. At this point, theportable staff unit may he logged onto network 110. Securityauthentication procedures may be performed when logging portable staffunits 104 onto network 110.

In block 1206, details about an order or request are displayed. Forexample, details of items associated with an order are displayed ondisplay device 116 of portable staff unit 104.

In block 1208, notifications indicating when an order or service requestis ready for pickup from a fulfillment center 109 and delivery to apatron are received and displayed. For example, portable staff unit 104receives notifications wirelessly that a patron's order (or potentiallya service request) is ready for delivery and delivery to a patron. Thenotifications may be sent directly from fulfillment center computers 108or via central unit 106. Once an order is delivered, the order may beclosed by touching a button or other means of selection on portablestaff unit 104 to indicate that the order has been delivered.

In block 1210, details about a patron may be rendered and displayed. Forexample, portable staff unit 104 may display details about a patronincluding the patron's room number, preference information, specialneeds/requests, information associated with prior visits, notes made byother staff members about the patron, and so forth.

In block 1212, the number of patrons using their portable patron units102 are displayed. For example, portable staff unit 104 displays patronslogged onto network 110 and possibly their relative zone locations, suchas the pool or beach. Portable staff unit 104 may limit the display tothe quantity of patrons logged into the network in a particular zone ofresponsibility for a staff member.

In block 1214, the actual location of a portable patron unit 102 may bedetermined and displayed on portable staff units 104 (or other devices)to enable staff members to quickly and efficiently deliver items orderedor services requested directly to a patron.

In block 1216, the quantity of outstanding orders pending that have notbeen delivered and closed-out may be displayed on a portable staff unit104.

In block 1218, messages generated by the resort or staff members of theresort, patrons and potentially other entities, may be transmitted anddisplayed on portable staff units 104.

In block 1220, portable staff units 104 may receive a notification of apage from a portable patron unit 102 that a patron is requestingimmediate service, e.g., the patron has selected a call service buttonor any other type of paging mechanism on their portable patron unit 102.

In block 1222, portable staff units 104 may receive and display menus(such as food and beverage menus) such as to enable staff members toview the menus, answer questions about the menu items, and/or take anorder at the request of patron, etc.

In block 1224, portable staff units 104, receives and displays anotification/page that a patron has requested their bill.

In block 1226, the real-time activity of a patron performed on aportable patron device 102 is displayed on portable staff unit 104.

It is noted that program applications 130 such as off-the-shelfapplication(s) 224, order/service application 326, patron informationapplication 327, real-time activity application 329, and locationapplication 331 executing on processor(s) 306 (FIGS. 2) and 408 (FIG. 4)and stored in memory 216 (FIGS. 3) and 406 (FIG. 4) are implemented toperform one or more portions of the functionality associated with method1200. Accordingly, program applications 130 generate menus, userinterfaces, guides, screens, and so forth for display which enable astaff member to service patrons, such as receiving orders, viewing orderdetails, receiving the location of portable staff units, receive servicerequests, browse information, and so forth.

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary method 1300 ofoperation associated with central unit 106. The order in which themethod is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, andany number of the described method blocks can be combined in any orderto implement the method. Each of the operations and blocks may beoptional and do not necessarily have to be implemented. Furthermore, themethod can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware,or combination thereof. Exemplary method 1300 includes blocks 1302through 1316.

In block 1302, central unit 106 communicates with portable patron units102 and portable staff units 104 as a server in a client/serverrelationship.

In block 1304, central unit 106 distributes content to both the portablepatron units 102 and portable staff units 104. The content may includemenus for order items, services offered by the resort, advertisements, ahistory of an item previously ordered by a particular patron, preferenceinformation, special needs/requests and preference informationassociated with a patron, status of an open or request, and so forth.

In block 1306, central unit 106 receives transaction information fromthe portable patron units 102 and portable staff units 104. Thetransaction information may include orders, requests for services,requests for a bill, etc.

In block 1308, central unit 106 processes the transaction information byrouting orders or requests to appropriate staff members or fulfillmentcenters to be carried out. Central unit 106 may also store thetransaction information in databases 112 (FIG. 1).

In block 1310, central unit 106 interfaces with POS computers such asfulfillment center computers 108 and hotel management systems.

In block 1312, central unit 106 determines the location of portableunits such as portable patron units 102 and sends details of thelocation (such as on a map) to portable staff units for display.

In block 1314, central unit 106 verifies portable patron units 102 andportable staff units 104 as authorized devices and authenticates theirusers based on security codes.

In block 1316, central unit 106 maintains a databases 112 necessary forservicing content to other units, such as maintaining transactioninformation, maintain menu information, descriptions, photos, prices,status of items (such as “sold out”), and so forth. A database 112 mayalso contain information to enable resort management to monitorperformance of staff (such as how many orders have been serviced and/ortime used to deliver and/or fulfill orders), average sale prices, bestselling items, beverage to food ratios, abandoned orders, page views,and so forth.

In block 1316, central unit 106 serves as an interface to other devicessuch as a gateway to the Internet or as an interface to POS systems,etc.

It is noted that program applications 130 and data stored in memory 406are implemented to perform one or more portions of the functionalityassociated with method 1300.

Although some implementations of the various methods and arrangements ofthe present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying Drawingsand described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the exemplary aspectsdisclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications andsubstitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention as setforth and defined by the following claims.

1. A method for using a portable patron unit in a venue or in a vicinityof the venue, comprising: wirelessly connecting the patron unit to be incommunication with the venue; providing at least one display on thepatron unit enabling a patron to place a patron order for at least oneitem or service provided by the venue; displaying the patron order and alocation of the patron unit on the patron unit and at least one portablestaff unit; updating a status of the patron order, and a location of thepatron unit when the patron moves to a different location, on both thepatron unit and the at least one staff unit; and indicating that the atleast one item or service ordered has been completed on both the patronunit and the at least one staff unit when the at least one item orservice ordered has been provided to the patron.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein the patron unit comprises one of an interactive portablecommunication device provided for use by the patron in the venue or inthe vicinity of the venue, and a patron-owned portable communicationdevice having a downloaded venue specific application provided therein.3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes a plurality ofpatron units that include both interactive portable communicationdevices provided for use by a plurality of patrons in the venue or inthe vicinity of the venue, and patron-owned portable communicationdevices having a downloaded venue specific application provided therein.4. The method of claim 2, further comprising: entering a request intothe patron unit for immediate assistance by a staff member, which isdisplayed on both the patron unit and the at least one staff unit. 5.The method of claim 2, further comprising: entering a request into thepatron unit for a bill for the at least one item or service provided tothe patron, the request being displayed on both the patron unit and theat least one staff unit.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:paying the bill by entering electronic payment information into thepatron unit, wherein at least a portion of the electronic paymentinformation is displayed on the staff unit.
 7. The method of claim 2,wherein the at least one display on the patron unit displays items orservices provided by the venue, including at least one item or servicepreviously ordered by the patron during a prior visit to the venue. 8.The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one item or servicepreviously ordered by the patron during a prior visit to the venue isstored in an electronic database, together with information identifyingthe patron, and is transmitted over a network for display on both thepatron unit and the staff unit.
 9. The method of claim 2, wherein the atleast one display on the patron unit displays cross-sell and/or up-sellrecommendation from the venue based on the at least one item or servicecurrently ordered by the patron.
 10. The method of claim 2, wherein astaff member can emulate the patron unit display on the at least onestaff unit to enter the patron order into the staff unit for the patron,the staff member entered patron order being displayed on both the patronunit and the staff unit.
 11. The method of claim 2, wherein the patronorder is displayed on the at least one staff unit while the patron orderis in progress, prior to the patron order being submitted by the patron.12. The method of claim 4, wherein entering the request into the patronunit for immediate assistance by a staff member, also provides anaudible signal on the at least one staff unit.
 13. The method of claim2, further comprising: providing the patron with access to entertainmentmedia though the patron unit.
 14. The method of claim 2, whereinwirelessly connecting the patron unit to be in communication with thevenue is performed over one or more networks.
 15. The method of claim14, wherein the one or more networks includes the Internet.
 16. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the location of the patron unit and thedifferent location of the patron unit are automatically determinedwithout entry of location information into the patron unit by either thepatron or a staff member.
 17. A system for using a portable patron unitin a venue or in a vicinity of the venue, comprising: a patron unit thatis wirelessly connected to be in communication with the venue; and atleast one staff unit that is wirelessly connected to be in communicationwith the venue, wherein the patron unit provides at least one displayenabling a patron to place a patron order for at least one item orservice provided by the venue, wherein the patron order and a locationof the patron unit are displayed on the patron unit and the at least oneportable staff unit; wherein a status of the patron order, and alocation of the patron unit when the patron moves to a differentlocation, are updated on both the patron unit and the at least one staffunit; and wherein both the patron unit and the at least one staff unitindicate that the at least one item or service ordered has beencompleted when the at least one item or service ordered has beenprovided to the patron.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the patronunit comprises one of an interactive portable communication deviceprovided for use by the patron in the venue or in the vicinity of thevenue, and a patron-owned portable communication device having adownloaded venue specific application provided therein.
 19. The systemof claim 17, wherein the system includes a plurality of patron unitsthat include both interactive portable communication devices providedfor use by a plurality of patrons in the venue or in the vicinity of thevenue, and patron-owned portable communication devices having adownloaded venue specific application provided therein.
 20. Anon-transitory computer readable medium for execution on at least onecomputer that includes computer executable instructions for using aportable patron unit in a venue or in a vicinity of the venue, themedium including instructions for: wirelessly connecting the patron unitto be in communication with the venue; providing at least one display onthe patron unit enabling a patron to place a patron order for at leastone item or service provided by the venue; displaying the patron orderand a location of the patron unit on the patron unit and at least oneportable staff unit; updating a status of the patron order, and alocation of the patron unit when the patron moves to a differentlocation, on both the patron unit and the at least one staff unit; andindicating that the at least one item or service ordered has beencompleted on both the patron unit and the at least one staff unit whenthe at least one item or service ordered has been provided to thepatron.